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When I told my next door neighbor in May of 2008 that I was going to sell the house along with all of my personal possessions and move to Chiclayo Peru with my Peruvian wife, his response was..” That’s a path not many men walk.” I had that impression as well, but have since learned that many men and women have walked and continue to walk that path. There is a large expatriate community in Lima and a significant number of gringos scattered about the remainder of the country from the larger coastal cities to the smallest jungle villages. Many of them have personal blogs in which they offer travel advice, news, and a wealth of other information along with their individual experiences. The purpose of this blog is not so far reaching. My intent is simply to record my experiences and observations for family, friends and anyone else who may be interested, but mostly for myself. Peru is to me a musical, magical land and I’ve found that writing about it helps me to preserve the beauty I experience as I explore this enchanting country. Anyway, thanks for visiting my site. Feel free to come back again, and leave a comment if you’d care to or send an email to me at kaetan1@gmail.com.

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Wednesday, September 20, 2017

A Desert Village Named ‘The Cherry’??

Actually, the name is El Cerezo, which translates to cherry
and it is located about 15 miles directly east of the city of Mochumi. The
population is approximately 130 in the immediate area. The economy is
agriculture, with the rice being the major crop. In the distant past there was
a large plantation that raised cherries, giving the village its name, but the
plantation and its cherries vanished to be replaced by other crops. There is no
organized artisan community, though several of the women make trinkets to sell
in Mochumi and elsewhere.

Anhela Diaz on the left in the photo has been teaching at
the pronoei Huellitas de Christo for three years. Patricia, who is the District
Coordinator for pronoeis in the Mochumi District is the other woman. The school
was built as a joint project 10 years ago by the community, who donated the
lot, and the Mochumi District who erected the building and a separate restroom
and sink.

The two girls in sandals in the photo are sisters. Their
mother apologized to Magali for the sandals, adding that they do have shoes at
home that are in good condition but are kept in a box for special occasions.

The building is in good condition inside and out and is
reasonably well equipped except for the plastic chairs that were donated 5
years ago by the city and are starting to break. The whiteboard behind Anhela
is cracked right down the middle and held together with tape. Anhela has 17
students who seem to be happy and have a good relationship with her.

Also present to greet Magali was Manuel, who is president
of the parent’s association. His aunt, Guillermina Solano Aquino is 87,
unmarried, and lives with her brother who is Manuel’s father. Guillermina is
proud of her nephew and his commitment toward the pronoei where he has two kids
attending.

The villagers have asked for a replacement for the
whiteboard, teaching aids, two storage shelves, three tables and 15 chairs.
Those items, together with transport cost and Magali’s time would total $621.06.

3 tables - $83.18

15 chairs – 231.05

1 whiteboard with markers and erasers – 60.07

2 storage shelves – 52.37

17 books and puzzles – 68.08

Transport – 64.70

Magali’s time – 61.61

Total – $621.06

We think this is a good project. The teacher and parent’s
association show the kind of spirit we like to see. We have $286 toward this
project. We need $335 to finish it.

Please consider
helping us to help this school and community. You can do that by visiting the Promesa
Peru webpage. Thank you from us and the village of El Cerezo.